My profile picture is from The Fair

Late last year I took up a new hobby of writing reviews for TripAdvisor. It started while we were on our Lewis and Clark roadtrip. We relied heavily on the travel website to find hotels and restaurants in tiny towns across Montana so I decided I should return the favor and submit a few reviews.

It turned into great fun, especially when the website sent me some motivational TripAdvisor luggage tags as a thank you. That swag plus the competitively enticing status levels based on the number of reviews you write got me hooked. It took me about 7 months to achieve the highest status as a "Top Contributor" with 53 reviews. This means I now have a bright gold star next to my name and a cool logoed tote bag is on its way. Did I mention I am goal-oriented? And easily swayed by star stickers?

Hungry for a burrito and needing to find something near an appointment, Rob and I recently tried a local Mexican place. It was new to us but was otherwise really, really old. The carpet was thread-bare, the pinatas were dusty, and the heavily tiled restroom reeked of Pine-Sol. Got the picture?

The food was eh. Mediocre at best. I took mental notes for my review: The salsa was too sweet, the verde sauce was bland, and the pork chunks were fatty. The chips were pretty good, though. And the service was friendly. But it is really, really unlikely we will ever return.

Eager to solidify my hard-earned status as a Top Contributor, I logged into TripAdvisor when we got home. I was very disappointed to discover the Mexican restaurant was not listed, probably because it is under new management and a new name. There is a process to get places added to the TripAdvisor database, but it didn't feel very sporting to get a place listed simply so I could pan it. Too bad, though, because as we left the restaurant I discovered a new, fast way to discern a clunker without having to order anything. Although I can't share this brilliant tip with TripAdvisor, I can share it with you.

I had only eaten half of my boring burrito when I was asked if I wanted a "To Go" box. I said yes so as not to hurt any feelings or be asked for an awkward explanation. I left with my Styrofoam container in hand, scanning the area for a trash can as I opened the door. I found one not far from the entrance. I approached it, glancing around to make sure none of the staff inside could see me. I quickly and casually placed my Styrofoam in the trash only to discover it wasn't the first container there. It wasn't even the second one there. Three discarded containers of leftovers and it wasn't even 1:00pm yet.

So, the handy gold star tip when evaluating a new restaurant: first peek in the nearest trash can for signs of politely ditched leftovers. If you see any, consult TripAdvisor for something better.